


After

by omfg_otp



Series: Zine pieces [2]
Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 07:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17977205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omfg_otp/pseuds/omfg_otp
Summary: It's been a couple of months since Loki was defeated, and Magnus has his hands full trying to run a homeless shelter, a long with his friends. They've managed to find a new normal, switching between the Chase Space, and Hotel Valhalla, but Alex is determined to break the newfound peace with a simple question.





	After

**Author's Note:**

> This was my piece for the riordanversezine! Hope you enjoy!

They’re in the middle of washing up after dinner when it happens. Alex puts away the last dry plate and slings the dish cloth she’d been using haphazardly towards the kitchen table. She leans casually against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. 

 

Magnus is very aware of Alex’s gaze burning into the side of his head, and can’t help but glance over at her unwavering stare as he drains the sink. 

 

“Um, thanks for your help,” he tells her, trying not to flush at her intense focus towards him.

 

“You’re welcome,” she replies. “I actually wanted to ask you something.”

 

Magnus’ mind immediately starts working overtime, desperately trying to figure out what this conversation could possibly entail. Their operation was running smoothly, the Chase Space had been open for business for around a month and they already had three regulars staying with them.

 

The first kid that had visited was called Tate. They were non-binary, a little bit like Alex, though they had different pronouns. Magnus doesn’t pretend to understand every detail, but he’s glad they had been able to find the Chase Space. Tate and Alex had bonded immediately, and they eventually decided to move in full-time. Sometimes, they still go missing for a few days at a time, but it doesn’t worry Magnus. He knows what it’s like to be a street kid, staying in one place for too long tends to get overwhelming.

 

A week after Tate first visited, they brought along a thirteen year-old trans-boy called Josh. They had formed a friendship after visiting the same food bank for a few weeks, and Magnus was incredibly happy that Tate trusted them enough to bring Josh along.

 

Their newest house guest was a seventeen year-old girl called Lauren. She had been kicked out of her parents’ house just three weeks before she found them. Magnus didn’t really know any details, and he knew it was rude to ask. She would tell them if she wanted to. She was hard of hearing, so she found it easiest to communicate with Hearth, especially when her hearing aids started to annoy her.

 

Magnus couldn’t help but feel protective of these kids that had chosen to stay at the Chase Space. Everything was running far more smoothly than expected, with Blitz and Hearth living in the house, and Alex and Magnus visiting whenever they got the chance.

 

Magnus hopes whatever Alex has to say isn’t anything to worry about, though he can’t help but feel that things are too good to be true right now.

 

“Ask away,” Magnus tells her, acting far more confident than he feels.

 

“We should go on a date.”

 

“O-oh,” he says, barely processing the words. Alex doesn’t say anything more, just looks at him expectantly. “That wasn’t a question.” He laughs nervously.

 

Alex rolls her eyes, stepping forward to grip his arms, looking him dead in the eye.

 

“Magnus, would you like to go on a date with me?”

 

His cheeks heat up under her intense stare.

 

“Yeah, uh. Sure.” He can feel his heart thudding in his chest. What brought this on so suddenly? Sure, Alex had expressed an  _ interest _ in him right after they had defeated Loki, but that was a month ago now, and things had cooled down. Magnus had chalked it up to Alex getting caught up in the heat of the moment, trying to save the world. And now that the danger was over, the feelings had subsided. He had already accepted the fact he would have to eventually get over her, though it was easier said than done.

 

But apparently that wasn’t the case at all.

 

“Friday, 4pm. I’ll pick you up.” Alex loosens her hold on him.

 

“We live across the hall from each other,” Magnus points out, snorting a laugh.

 

“Shut up,” She tells him mildly. “I’ve always wanted to say that to someone.”

 

Magnus grins, happy beyond belief she’d chosen to say it to  _ him _ .

 

“So where are you taking me?” he asks curiously.

 

Alex thinks for a second. “I think I’ll leave it as a surprise.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Magnus pouts a little, but he knows she won’t change her mind.

 

“It’s four days Mags, you’ll survive the suspense.” Alex smiles at him fondly, and he feels his heart stutter for a second.

 

“I might survive the suspense, but there’s no way I’m surviving the death games tomorrow,” he tells her wryly.

 

She rolls her eyes, walking past him towards the door. “You better be back to normal before our date, because if you stand me up I’ll cut your head off.”

 

“Again,” Magnus adds, and Alex snorts.

 

“Yeah, again.”

  
  


-

  
  


The four days running up to their date seemed to drag on, though by the end of them, Magnus is left standing in front of his open closet with no clue what to wear. He glances towards the brand new phone, that had been installed in his room around three weeks ago. It connected straight through to the Chase Space, and was technically meant to be used for business purposes only. 

 

But he could break the rules just this once, right?

 

He snatches the reciever off the hook, tapping his foot impatiently and he listens to it ring. It’s a minute later when someone answers. 

 

“Chase Space, this is Blitz speaking, how can I help?” He sounds pretty rushed, and Magnus feel a little bit guilty for bothering him. 

 

“Hey it’s me,” he says, pausing for a moment. “Magnus.” 

 

Why is talking over the phone so awkward? Blitz doesn’t seem fazed, greeting him and asking how he is. 

 

“I’m fine,” Magnus says, only half lying. The anxiety about this afternoon is starting to get to him. “I just. I have a thing. No, okay wait. I need your help with um...” He can feel his face heat up as he stutters, cringing internally. “I’m going on a date with Alex and I don’t know what to wear,” he manages to get out.

 

The silence lasts for only a few moments before he hears Blitz chuckle. “It’s about time, kid.” Magnus can’t help but smile at that. “What kinda time frame am I working on here? A week? I could probably get something together in a week…” Blitz trails off and Magnus bites his lip.

 

“Er, it’s more like an hour.” 

 

“An  _ hour _ ?!” Blitz sounds horrified and Magnus rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. 

 

“Sorry for the short notice?” he tries, wincing at the sound of Blitz’s angry muttering on the other end of the line.

 

“How am I supposed to make you look like a fashion forward millennial when I’m not even there to help?”

 

“Look, I just need a few tips, okay? Like should I wear jeans? A button up? Or just something casual? I don’t know the answer to any of these questions.”

 

He hears some noises through the phone, shuffling in the background, and he’s almost sure Blitz is giving Hearth a play-by-play of their conversation. Both of them have been not-so-subtly rooting for him and Alex ever since the Chase Space opened up. 

 

“So you don’t even know where you’re going on this date? Did Alex plan everything?”

 

“Yeah,” he said, feeling slightly defensive. “Alex told me it was a surprise.”

 

“Hmm,” Blitz hummed thoughtfully. “I doubt Alex would take you anywhere that would need fancier clothes than what you usually wear. Casual is your best bet in my opinion.”

 

“Okay,” Magnus tells him, slightly relieved at the thought of wearing his usual clothes. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem, kid, but remember to at least run a comb through your hair before going to meet her, okay?”

 

Magnus rolls his eyes but agrees to Blitz’s request, hanging up after wishing his best to Hearth and the kids. 

 

He makes his way back to his closet, picking out what he hopes is his most flattering outfit. He does as Blitz says and brushes his hair — not that it makes much of a difference anyway. Before he knows it, there’s a knock at his door.

 

His date has arrived.

 

He opens the door to find Alex in casual clothes, instantly making him feel a little better. She doesn’t seem to have much of an issue with his choice of clothes, greeting him with a crooked smile. 

 

“Ready to go?” she asks, tilting her head towards the elevator. 

 

“Yep” he replies, trying to act casual through the nerves. 

 

Alex reaches out and takes his hand as they walked through Hotel Valhalla, passing a tall blond kid on the way out. He looks immensely confused, and Magnus suspects he’s only just arrived in the ‘afterlife’. Magnus remembers what it was like to wake up here after dying, and he hopes the new kid settles in alright.

 

“So, are you gonna tell me where we’re headed, or is it still a surprise?” Magnus asks as they walk through the centre of Boston. 

 

“We’ll be there in a minute,” Alex replies, leading him down a quiet side-street. 

 

She eventually comes to a stop in front of a building, neon lights flashing in the window advertising late 90s video games. The store itself is slightly run-down, paint peeling off the bright red door.

 

“An arcade?” Magnus asks, grinning at the thought of trying to beat Alex at anything remotely competitive. 

 

“I used to come here a lot when I…” she trails off, looking wistful.

 

“When you were alive?” 

 

“Yeah,” she agrees, biting her lip. Magnus knows Alex hadn’t had the best experience growing up with her dad, and he feels oddly touched that she’s comfortable enough to share this place with him. 

 

“Thanks for bringing me here,” he tells her sincerely, squeezing her hand.

 

She smiles and tugs him towards the entrance. “Don’t get too sentimental Mags, I’m just here to wreck you at Mario Kart.”

  
  


-

  
  


Alex delivers on her promise, beating him at just about every game they play against each other. Magnus isn’t too disappointed by that outcome, especially since Alex is smiling more and more as they work their way around the arcade. It doesn’t help Magnus’ concentration much. 

 

The both of them manage to amass an impressive number of tickets, with Alex doing particularly well at Pac-Man, and Magnus impressing even himself when they stop off at the pinball machine.

 

When they both agree to call it quits for the day, Alex takes the tickets up to the counter, and Magnus lets her choose the prizes. She chooses a snake for herself — no surprise there — and gets a wolf for Magnus, which he takes from her with a roll of his eyes. 

 

“Thanks,” he tells her sarcastically.

 

“You earned it,” she quips back. 

 

They step back out into the chilly evening air, Magnus not being affected quite as badly as Alex, who was only wearing her usual button up and sweater vest combo. After more than a minute of internal debate, Magnus puts his arm tentatively around her waist. She seems surprised at the contact, but relaxes as soon as he begins to heat the air around them. Sometimes being the son of a summer God has its perks. 

 

“Don’t really feel like walking back to Valhalla,” Alex mumbles quietly. “Wanna stay at the Space tonight?”

 

“Yeah, sounds good,” Magnus agrees easily, instantly looking forward to seeing Blitz and Hearth, as well as their full-time residents. 

 

Alex huddles closer to his body as they walk, and he feels his breath hitch in his throat. With Alex wrapped up in his arms, Magnus can’t help but think their first date went better than he ever could’ve hoped.

  
  



End file.
